I kept the Shannon’s up, expecting the breeze would die away. At half-past 5 P.M. the enemy hauled up within hail of us on the starboard side, and the battle began, both ships steering full under their topsails: after exchanging between two and three broadsides, the enemy’s ship fell on board of us, her mizen-channels locking in with our forerigging. I went forward to ascertain her position; and observing that the enemy were flinching from their guns, I gave orders to prepare for boarding. Our gallant bands appointed to that service immediately rushed in, under their respective officers, upon the enemy’s decks, driving every thing before them with irresistible fury. The enemy made a desperate, but disorderly resistance. The firing continued at all the gangways, and between the tops, but in two minutes time the enemy were driven sword in hand from every post. The American flag was hauled down, and the proud old British Union floated triumphant over it. In another minute they ceased firing from below, and called for quarter. The whole of this service was achieved in fifteen minutes from the commencement of the action[1].
- ↑ “The good effects of an officer being able, when the range is once ascertained, to direct all the guns in the ship to be elevated or depressed alike, were exemplified in the action of the Shannon and Chesapeake: the guns of the former were all laid by Captain Broke’s directions, consequently the fire was thrown in one horizontal line, not a shot going over the American frigate. Had Captain Broke, however, trusted the laying them to the captains of the guns, it cannot be supposed that the Shannon’s fire could have been thrown with such admirable precision, notwithstanding her men were exceedingly well-trained, and perfectly understood gunnery. Had this been attended to and adopted before, half our long and hard fought actions might have been finished in as little time as the Shannon’s. The Chesapeake was beaten in eleven minutes, and taken in fifteen!” See a very useful little pamphlet written by Captain Samuel John Pechell, R.N. C.B. entitled, “Observations upon the fitting of guns on board his Majesty’s ships.”
starboard main-rigging. See a plate representing the action in Ralfe’s Naval Chronology, vol.3, facing p. 210. “She had also, flying at the fore, a large white flag, inscribed with the words: ‘Free Trade and Sailors’ Rights;’ upon a supposition, perhaps, that that favourite American; motto would paralyse the efforts, or damp the energy, of the Shannon’s men. The Shannon had only an old rusty blue ensign at the peak; nor was her outside appearance at all calculated to inspire a belief of the order and discipline that reigned within.” See James, v. 5, p. 381.
